Disco Volante
Reviewed by:
sexualrocket, on june 09, 2005 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sound: This album is freaky. It's the second Mr. Bungle album and definitely the wierdest. Read my California review afterwards for more Mr. Bungle. This album is so cool, it's wierd. At first I thought it sucked. Just a lot of funny noises and wierd melodies. Then I started to really listen to it and bang! I loved it. The first track isn't the best, it's ok. But then its Chemical Marriage! It's an awesome with the funkiest, grooviest melodies ever. We move on to Carry Stress In The Jaw, and here the madness reveals. In this extravaganza of sickness you can hear fucked melodise, wierd vocals and actually some nice metal riffs too. Then at 4:43, something happens! Grandpa Simpsons (from Simpsons) starts singing. It's my favourite part of the CD. The singing is hilarious. And God has showed himself as melodies in this song. And winner of wierdest song title is: Desert Search For Techno Allah. And thats what it is, its a f--ked song with some wierd techno riffs and some middle eastern stuff. Not the best but still awesome. Violenza Domestica is awesome. A pure awesome Mr Bungle song, with so many different styles, some metal, then it breaks into this italian style and its very fucked. After School Special sounds like a melancholic song, but the lyrics crack me up; "My mom is better than your mom and your dad too! She knows nutrition well bla bla bla." Again a quality song.
I find it hard to explain this music, 'cause it's so awesome and special. Plegmatics is the next one, its part three in a triology of songs. It is again a very mix of styles. Thats what makes Mr. Bungle so good, they can mix styles and make it sound good. Now this is fun, Ma Meeshka Mow Skowz! A song with no real words. And very wierd vocals. Mike Patton has to be insane. Just listen to this song. Again excellent keyboard with excellent melodies. How do they do it? The album goes on into madness and everything and ends with Merry Go Bye Bye/Nothing. Which also is an excellent song. // 10

Lyrics: The lyrics are either f--ked or damn hilarious, or just crap, like Ma Meeshka Mow Skowz! And they are delivered by a god, Mike Patton. Actually nothing more to say, just that Mike Patton does so much wierd with is voice, it's fun, hilarious and genious and all at once! // 10

Overall Impression: It does not compare to anything! Thats what makes it good! You have to give it a couple of spins at first, but then one day, you realise the excellence in this album. I just love it. The best songs has to be Carry Stress In The Jaw, Chemical Marriage, Ma Meeshka Mow Skows and Merry Go Bye Bye/Nothing. Go buy this shit now or die! // 10

Disco Volante
Reviewed by:
DownInAHole., on february 05, 2008 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sound: Mr. Bungle have to be, in my opinion, one of the most unique bands ever to exist. I have never heard any band simply molest music like these guys do. It's uncanny. They rape a song of all of its likable qualities, yet they still are able to make it an enjoyable listening experience. Perhaps the band in it's wierdest stage of their already wierd career is evident in their 1995 sophomore release, Disco Volante. Being that Mr. Bungle is an avante-garde metal outfit, it is definately strange to see them take on musical stylings like techno, pop, jazz, and even surf music, but they pull it off regardless. The first song on this album that will immediately grab your attention has to be "Chemical Marriage." In this song, the unconventional music, obscure lyrics, and overall disbelief of how random the song is will leave you scratching your head. To be fair though, that's a great portion of the album anyway, so it prepares you. "Chemical Marriage", in my view sounds like a hellbound circus, riddled with vocal effects and a sound that kicks your ass for 3 minutes. "Backstrokin'" is another sweet number. This song is definately different; even for Mr. Bungle. It's an up-tempo song that segues into what appears to be surf-rock elements, which completely throws the listener in a different direction, yet again. Perhaps the most genius piece of music on this album is "Desert Search For Techno Allah." Here, guess what genre they take on next? Well, if you guessed techno, then you were right. In this song, they repeat a middle eastern chant, dubbed over some electronic samples and such, creating one of the freakiest songs ever recorded. All in all, the sounds are just amazingly strange and not everyone will enjoy it. However, if you stay open-minded throughout the entire thing, you'll begin to like it. // 8

Lyrics: The lyrics are not the band's strong point in my opinion, though your typical Bungle fan would tell you otherwise. Written mostly by guitarist Trey Spruance, Disco Volante is just a thrill ride lyrically that takes you in places you didn't know about. Some of the lyrics aren't in English, adding to the overall obscurity. Actually, in truth, some of the lyrics are so wierd, I honestly do not have a clue what they mean, so I don't think I should be so critical over them. I can say though that many vocal altering devices were inlcuded in Mike Patton's performances on the album, which were really sweet, as was the mini-epic "The Bends", which takes you on an underwater ride that you never want to leave. "The Bends" is probably the finest lyrics on the album, I will say that. The lyrics are cool I guess. Just from a more artistic perspective. // 7

Overall Impression: Of course, Disco Volante will always stand on its own, even among the albums of a group notorious for innovation, such as Mr. Bungle. Please note, this album is not for just anyone. Most will not be able to enjoy the uniqueness behind it, though I personally think it's one of the most brilliantly orchestrated pieces of art to hit shelves. It's so far ahead of its time, it should be illegal. My favorite song from this has to be "Desert Search For Techno Allah." It fascinates me so much. All of that being said, I think you should buy this album, though chances are you'll hate it. // 8

Disco Volante
Reviewed by:
soundgarden1986, on october 03, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: The band have outdone themselves with this album. Everyone is at the top of their game here, not one song sounds alike where as with their S/T and California had some similar sounding songs (just barley similar). Everyone I Went to High School With is Dead shows the bands earlier Death/Heavy Metal influences. My only problem with this song is that it seems to drag on a bit even though it's one of the shorter songs. Chemical Marriage is one of my favorite songs off of the album. I can't really describe the sound of it but once you hear it, it will stick with you for a long time. Carry Stress in the Jaw/Spy is the third longest song on DV. The first half is like jazz and heavy metal combined. The second half is sort of like lounge music with Trevor Dunn singing on this one and it adds a certain touch other Bungle songs don't have. Desert Search for Techno Allah is pretty much a Middle Eastern themed techno song. Song of the lyrics are taken from an old Arabic (I think) saying. Violenza Domestica is in all Italian. Some parts of the song sound like it could have come straight out of the Godfather and it features an(in my opinion) extremely underrated instrument, a Jew's Harp. After School Special is another one of the shorter songs. I can't really describe it in that great detail but I do think it 's a great song. Phlegmantics is the conclusion in the "Sleep" trilogy. The other two songs are Carry Stress in the Jaw (Part II) and Slowly Growing Deaf (Part I) from their S/T. All three of these songs have lyrics about the body. Phlegmantics starts off sound like it would be at least a bit normal and then the keyboards come in for a few seconds and it slows down a lot. During the slower parts, the faster paced drumming from the intro will be heard. You might think it doesn't fit but once you listen to the song you know it does. Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz, try figuring out what the hell Mike Patton is saying. This song is either in a different language or just the scat style singing that he started using a lot around this time. The Bends can be described as underwater themed. Around half the song is like that then you get to this part that sounds like sirens. Seconds later, you hear sounds that would fit perfectly into a cheesy, B-List '50s sci-fi movie. The last few seconds catch you off guard a bit because it gradually get louder and louder until sudden silence. The next song, Backstrokin', starts off with what sounds like reversed music. Then it leads in to a surf/lounge themed music with Patton chiming in every couple seconds. Platypus starts off sounding close to a song like Phlegmantics. You hear either Patton or Dunn saying Ornithorhynchus Anatinus: Platypus. The rythm of Pattons singing in this seem off time but like the drumming in Phlegmantics, your opinion will change when everything is done. The next and final song, Merry Go Bye Bye, is no doubt one of the best Bungle songs. The beginning keyboards and vocal combination make it seem like you're back in the '50s. Then out of nowhere, sudden change of direction which changes the song to sound like one of Bungles heavier songs with more noise and samples than ever. Around the end everything gets slower and relaxing again. I have nothing to say about the improv after Merry Go Bye Bye. // 10

Lyrics: I don't have much to say about the lyrics of this album. They can be weird(different languages, gibberish, scat singing) but they fit the music perfectly. This is one of the best vocal performances of Patton too. I'd say the lyrical strongpoints of this album are Merry Go Bye Bye, Everyone I Went to Highschool With is Dead and Violenza Domestica. Some of the songs have barley any real lyrics at all(The Bends, great song either way though. It's better with little lyrics than if it was flooded with them) // 10

Overall Impression: This album doesn't even really compare to other Bungle albums let alone anyone else's. I think everything about this album is perfect. People who are just getting into Bungle might want to avoid this for a while because it's a difficult listen, but very rewarding in the end. Chemical Marriage, Carry Stress/Spy, Violenza Domestica, and Merry Go Bye Bye are the best songs on the CD. If this was lost or stolen, I would definetly buy it again and again. // 10

A friend recommended this Band as one of his favorite bands, and gave me this CD to check out...i like it,but its freakin wierd stuff though, i definitely aree w/the hard listen at first! at times it feels like its all improve and has no structure, like if they're just jammin!